Ostrom Fellowship Guidelines
The Ostrom Workshop has funding available for a limited number of fellowships for incoming or currently enrolled Indiana University graduate students working in areas that relate to the intellectual mission of the Workshop.
Funding support includes fee remission for up to 30 credit hours, graduate student health insurance, and a fellowship of $11,000 per semester ($3,000 in summer). Some students may only receive one semester of funding or only partial support if a student is already receiving other funding. An Ostrom Fellowship can be split between two students in certain circumstances.
Funded students will be required to participate in our fall semester seminar (POLS Y673/SPEA P710), participate in a service-learning project, and attend the year-long Colloquium and Research Series (held from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, respectively). ABD fellows are also required to present at the Research Series unless they have already presented in previous years. Non-ABD fellows are strongly encouraged to present.
We invite Directors of Graduate Studies in departments in which there is at least one Workshop Affiliate to nominate up to two current or incoming masters or PhD students as Ostrom Fellows. Preference is given to nominees who have not received an Ostrom Fellowship in the past. Nominations must be submitted during the nomination window which typically opens at the end of the fall semester and closes in mid February. The nomination window for 2024-2025 is closed.
Funding decisions will be made by the Selection Committee. The criteria for selection include, but are not limited to, academic merit and fit of student’s research to the Ostrom Workshop’s mission. Departments and applicants will be notified by March 13, 2024.
Nominations must include:
- Student’s CV.
- 1–2 page research plan, which should include: a) Research question/s; b) Why is it interesting/important/relevant/new? c) Basic theoretical framework; d) Empirical methods: data/statistical methods.
- Letter of recommendation from either the student’s current/prospective advisor or the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. This letter should indicate fit of the student for the Ostrom Workshop. For currently enrolled students, the letter should also include an assessment of the student’s academic performance to date and status toward degree completion.
- For incoming students: GRE scores, GPA at prior institutions, TOEFL (international students only), and letter of recommendation. For current students: IU GPA.
Please compile the above four documents in the order listed into a single PDF file.
Student transcripts SHOULD NOT be included. Please include the student’s GPA in your nomination email/letter.
